Good morning…
In our therapeutic community group on Tuesday, I learned a brand new “F” word. Fecundity. According to the Free Dictionary.com, fecundity is a noun with two distinct meanings:
1. The quality of producing abundantly; fruitfulness or fertility.
2. Productive or creative power.
Using yogurt, various fruits and granola, we were asked to create an editable piece of art depicting the word fecundity – fruitfulness, creativity, inventiveness. I created the delicious plateful above, explaining that I believe fruitfulness begins with a central seed and naturally, organically expands outward into wholeness.
In Lifesigns by Henri Nouwen we read: “…fruits need care. To live a fruitful life, we need an environment that keeps us from being afraid and allows the weak, vulnerable fruits within us to grow in strength. Care does not mean manipulation or control. A seed will never grow if we pull it out of the ground daily to check its progress; likewise, the fruits of our own and others’ lives will never mature if we want to control every stage of their development… Fruits ask only for the rich soil, water, air, and sunlight of a caring environment in order to flourish. Jesus cared deeply for the people he met. He did not control or dominate them, but through his words and actions offered them an opportunity to search for new directions and make new choices.” (58)
Then Jesus said, “God’s kingdom is like seed thrown on a field by a man who then goes to bed and forgets about it. The seed sprouts and grows—he has no idea how it happens. The earth does it all without his help: first a green stem of grass, then a bud, then the ripened grain. When the grain is fully formed, he reaps—harvest time!” (Mark 4:26-29, MSG).
This powerfully creative process feels like fecundity to me.
What new directions and new choices do you sense God growing in your life right now?
…Sue…
